KUALA LUMPUR – The high court today fixed 15 days beginning from May 12 next year for Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor’s money laundering and tax evasion trial.
Judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan set the dates during today’s case management which was attended by deputy public prosecutor Poh Yih Tinn and lawyer Datuk Geethan Ram Vincent representing Rosmah.
“The dates set by the court are May 12; June 28 and 30; July 6, 7, 27, 28 and 31; August 1, 2, 11, 24 and 25 and September 7 and 8, 2023,” said the judge who also set February 20 next year for case management.
However, Zaini said the hearing dates will depend on Rosmah’s appeal at the Court of Appeal which has fixed December 23 for case management.
The wife of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is appealing to remove Zaini – who had dismissed Rosmah’s first application on December 14, 2021, and her second bid on April 25 this year – from presiding over her case.
Earlier, Poh informed the court that the prosecution will call 15 witnesses.
On November 29, Zaini reminded the defence team to give priority to the case as it has been pending for four years since Rosmah was charged on October 4, 2018.
Rosmah, 70, is facing 12 money laundering charges, involving RM7,097,750, and five counts of failure to declare her income to the Inland Revenue Board.
The offences were allegedly committed at Affin Bank Bhd, Bangunan Getah Asli branch, Jalan Ampang, here, between December 4, 2013 and June 8, 2017, at Kompleks LHDN Bangunan Kerajaan, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Halim, here, between May 1, 2014 and May 1, 2018.
On September 1, Zaini found Rosmah guilty of three charges of corruption related to the solar hybrid project worth RM1.25 billion for 369 rural schools in Sarawak and sentenced her to 10 years in prison and imposed a fine of RM970 million.
The court also ordered Rosmah to be imprisoned for 30 years if she failed to pay the fine. – Bernama, December 1, 2022
